Aug. 15, 1870 Seattle's first public schoolhouse opens
The school was on 3rd Avenue between Madison and Spring Street.
The 30-by-48-foot two-story, two-room schoolhouse cost $5,000, twice as much as the initial estimates. The school opened with just one teacher, Lizzie Ordway.
By the end of the first week, more than 100 students were attending school and the district had to hire another teacher.
The lot was purchased in 1870 for $2,000 and sold in 1883 for $30,000.
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Aug. 2, 1875: Bailey Gatzert (1829-1893) is elected as the first and only (to date) Jewish mayor of Seattle
He and his wife, Babette Schwabacher Gatzert, were involved in many business and civic ventures critical to the establishment of early Seattle commerce and infrastructure.
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Aug. 24, 1894: 37 miners die fighting a fire at a coal mine in Franklin
The coroner's office ruled the fire was started "with intent and purpose to do great injury and damage to the lives of the miners and property of the Oregon Improvement Company."
Franklin was a coal mining town about 1.6 miles east of Black Diamond.
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August 1903: Ringling Bros. Circus comes to Seattle.
The circus included at least 12 elephants parading down Second Avenue. In May 2017, the Ringling Bros. called it quits after 146 years.
Declining attendance, high operating costs, changing public tastes and prolonged battles with animal rights groups all contributed to its demise.
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Aug. 12, 1905: Racing begins at The Meadows racetrack near Georgetown
"Contrary to expectations no one was killed and only one injured. One machine caught fire and burned, and two others broke down." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
The Meadows was a popular attraction as gaming thrived in an unregulated early 20th century. The largest wager was said to be $500.
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Aug. 17, 1907: Seattle's Pike Place Market opens with a story of three farmers
Farmer #1 arrived in the early-morning hours with his horse-drawn wagon full of produce from Renton. About 50 people were waiting for him, and he sold out quickly.
Two more farmers arrived a half-hour later. One of the wagons was immediately overwhelmed.
Someone jumped onto the wagon and started giving away goods.
The other farmer was able to keep the crowd at bay long enough to sell out his produce. By 11 a.m. hundreds, if not thousands, of consumers went home disappointed.
Word spread quickly among farmers about the crowds. On Nov. 30, 1907, the arcade opened with more than 120 farmers set up in its covered stalls.
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August 8, 1932: Olympic swimmer Helene Madison swims to stardom!
The 19-year-old sports sensation was awarded three gold medals at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. More than century after her birth, Madison will remain the only Washingtonian to win three gold medals in a single Olympics.
At the age of 15, Madison broke the state record for the women's 100-yard freestyle, then quickly followed that up by breaking the Pacific Coast record.
By 1932, she owned 23 world records and had won every freestyle event at the U.S. Women's Nationals three years in a row.
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Aug. 6, 1945: U.S. bombing of Hiroshima
Key atom-bomb components were produced at the super-secret Hanford Engineer Works just north of Richland. Many Richland residents only learn after the bombing exactly what they had been making... since 1943.
Hanford officials declared that their part in ending the war was a source of pride and satisfaction. Most of the workers agreed.
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Aug. 20, 1946: Bellevue Square opens in downtown Bellevue
It is the first shopping center in the Pacific Northwest. Today, Bellevue Square is bucking the trend of malls nationwide.
While many are shutting down, the 70-plus-year-old shopping center announced a major expansion. It's expected to be completed by 2022.
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August 1950: The First Seafair festival is held in King County
A centerpiece of the first Seafair was the Aqua Follies. The 125-person cast performed on the south shore of Green Lake in Seattle.
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Aug. 13, 1951: A B-50 bomber crashes into Beacon Hill apartments, killing 11 people
The plane experienced engine trouble right after taking off from Boeing Field.
The plane slammed into the nearby Lester Apartments, injuring 11 others.
The tragic crash also brought an end to a piece of Seattle's more infamous past.
In 1910, the building once housed a 500-room brothel.
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Aug. 6, 1958: 9 inmates escape from the Washington State Reformatory in Monroe
Two unarmed guards were attacked as the group escaped over the 30-foot wall using a rope made from knotted-together bedsheets.
Freedom didn't last long. Within five months, all 9 inmates were back behind bars.
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August 1960: Construction begins on the 520 Floating Bridge
The second bridge to cross Lake Washington, connecting Seattle with the Eastside.
The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge is 1.4 miles long. It took three years to complete, and opened Aug. 28, 1963.
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Aug. 21, 1964: The Beatles debut in Washington state
They played at the Seattle Center Coliseum to 14,300 screaming fans. The stage was raised 12 feet for the Beatles' protection.
Scalpers sold the $5 tickets for $30. During the concert, hundreds of teenage girls rushed the stage in the hopes of catching the eyes of their idols.
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Aug. 7, 2006: U.S. Army Rangers from Fort Lewis rob the Bank of America in South Tacoma
The following morning, FBI agents find the getaway car parked inside a fenced lot at Fort Lewis and quickly identify the soldiers involved in the bank robbery.
The agents will serve a search warrant and recover weapons, clothing, and $21,000 in cash.
Five soldiers and two Canadian citizens will be charged. All eventually plead guilty and are sent to federal prison.
The robbery is one of the most audacious and dangerous bank heists ever committed in Washington state.
Cox Media Group
